While for an ordinary person there is nothing positive in an aggression, for a politician can be a great luck. Especially if his loyalists immediately make every effort to turn it into an instrument of propaganda. The act of a madman is definitely the best thing that ever happened to Silvio Berlusconi in the last year, from the viewpoint of a cynical political strategy.
In 1926 a series of attacks against Mussolini were the pretext for the permanent establishment of the dictatorship, with the closure of newspapers and opposition parties. Today we see disturbing signs that recall those times. Berlusconi was increasingly de-legitimized by his sex scandals, by his attitude openly unconstitutional, by a new deluge of ad personam laws, by the break with the Speaker of the House Fini, by a huge demonstration against him and by a deteriorating economic situation.
The aggression is the perfect pretext for his loyalists to attack the few remaining opponents, accusing them of a "climate of hatred" against his Majesty, although in reality it's Berlusconi who always fiercely attacked his opponents. So now in Italy we have insults on all tv channels against Di Pietro, Travaglio, Santoro, Rosy Bindi, Scalfari and the purple movement, that is, those who still dare speak the truth about Berlusconi or demonstrate against him. Nothing against the Democratic Party leader Bersani however, because he went humbly to offer homage to the greatest leader. Now we have more threats against judges, as always. Now comes together at least for the moment the break with Fini and Napolitano, who, even for institutional duty, have to express solidarity to the premier. Now a number of members of Berlusconi coalition are ready to assail the internet because there are sites and Facebook groups who expressed appreciation for the gesture of the aggressor.
It's not something so devious and evil as the government's propaganda would like us to believe: the Internet is an uncontrollable sea where there is the best and the worst. There are threats from both sides and even racism, violence, Nazism, homophobia, mafia apology and so on, but our country already has the legislative instruments to punish defamation and the incitement to crime. If someone wants to make special laws, it is because he was just looking for an excuse.
Meanwhile on facebook some Berlusconi loyalists changed the name of popular groups dedicated to various subjects turning them into pages in support of Berlusconi, in fact, putting in them thousands of users against their will. Sleazy systems to gather a consensus that the premier doesn't have, but today thanks to a stupid aggression he can manipulate it more easily. Facebook finally removed both type of groups, the ones praising the aggressor and the ones that deceived their members making them supporters of the premier.
Meanwhile the majority politicians do not even think about lowering the tone and try to exploit the aggression to attack more violently the judiciary, the free press and freedom of expression. The Interior Minister on his part threatened new laws to restrict the freedom of the net and the right to demonstrate. All basic elements of democracy that have absolutely nothing to do with the act of one madman. But the goal of Berlusconi and his majority is always the same: destroy the democratic and constitutional guarantees so that He may reign supreme.
It's really wrong to express appreciation for the attack, not only because gratuitous violence cannot be justified, but also because those doing that don't understand that Berlusconi has suffered a physical blow, but the launch of the miniature is a much harder blow against Italy, that now the majority can easily overwhelm with even more propaganda than before, completing their plan for the destruction of democracy.
Francesco Defferrari
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